


Say You'll Love Me

by MarrishxMe



Category: Teen Wolf (TV), Titanic (1997)
Genre: AU, Alternative Universe - Titanic, Angst, Attempt at Humor, Bromance, Eventual Romance, F/M, Fluff, Jordia, Jydia, Kerek, Marrish, Mild Language, Mild references to suicide, OTP Feels, Scallison, Sex, Stalia, Teen Romance, Titanic - Freeform, Tragedy, Tragic Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-08-31
Updated: 2017-04-25
Packaged: 2018-04-18 09:31:07
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 18
Words: 21,375
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4700969
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MarrishxMe/pseuds/MarrishxMe
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Lydia Martin furtively dreams of another life of being free, instead she is betrothed at 18 to Jackson Whitmore, a rich but imprudent man she barely knows. When she boards the Titanic and meets Jordan Parrish, an officer of 24 on the ship, her life is torn between what she needs to be and what she wants. Where should her true duties lie?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first ever attempt at a FanFic, let alone a Marrish one, my opt :) please be nice, i'm trying haha :') I really hope you like it fellow Marrish shippers!

Lydia wore a façade; in that moment, one of contempt, toward the legendary Titanic afore her on the dock. Ironically, this ship was referred to as ‘the ship of dreams’ when she felt she was making her nightmare a hideous reality by boarding, thus solidifying her commitments.

“Don’t look so ungrateful Lydia, we’re incredibly fortunate to be here.”

Her mother, Natalie Martin, snapped - If Lydia were alone she would scoff to herself. Her betrothed, Jackson Whitmore, clicked his fingers rudely to their new personal maids for them to carry all their belongings to the boat. Lydia wanted desperately to help them, but knew such gesture would result in punishment for both parties.

She could only really talk to them alone anyway, it was apparently frowned upon for her to be such close friends with the two, aunt and niece eternally grateful for the scraps of money given to them in order to feed the remains of their family. If Lydia was honest with herself, she knew she was very close to the niece, Allison Argent and she in turn was eternally grateful that she had her with her now.

People from all walks of life were everywhere; crowds going through health inspection, people around the market by the port, attendants left right and centre – even a car was being lifted upon the deck. What seem to catch Lydia’s eye though was a young officer running like the speed of light but careful not to disrupt anyone, closely followed by others who were clearly from steerage. A small smile played on her lips for a reason she couldn’t pin point.

Her stomach flipped as she strutted across the dock to board the ship after Jackson had finished bribing attendants and Haigh, his henchman, to sort everything out for them. Jackson placed a weighted hand on the small of her back to usher her forward through the corridors to their rooms. She barely had enough time to blink let alone thank the officers for their warm welcoming, but it was still enough for her to see the officer who was running for the ship, his warm smile difficult to ignore especially so to not reciprocate. Whilst Jackson was attractive, and could be loving in some cases, Lydia didn’t appreciate the way he handled things and treated people. He believed it didn’t matter because of the paper in his wallet.

“Please, Ly-Miss Martin, let me take your bag.”

Allison caught herself before it was too late, her widened eyes scanning the area before gently lifting Lydia’s bag from her grasp to place in a wardrobe. After some time unpacking their belongings and some of Lydia’s beloved art – which of course Jackson had no shame in showing his distaste for, Lydia lied to her company stating she wanted to rest after their journey before preparing for dinner and shut herself in her room with Allison, who was very close to her age, which Lydia knew helped her understand how she must feel. Lydia held Allison’s hands gently and tugged her to the bed.

“Allison I’m so sorry Jackson treated you that way again -“

She was cut off as Allison laughed lightly,

“Lydia please, it’s alright! It’s worth it. Are you ok?”

Lydia wasn’t surprised at the sudden moisture in her eyes, she’d been holding it in for hours and it turned out she _was_ exhausted. She didn’t have to hold it in for Allison. Allison brought back a damp flannel from the bathroom to wipe under her eyes.

“Get some rest, I’ll help get you ready in about an hour ok?”

Lydia nodded and was helped by both Kate and Allison out of her dress to sleep in her underclothes until then. By the next afternoon they were sailing away from the coast of Ireland having picked up passengers, one of which was Satomi and her adoptive son and daughter. Satomi didn’t quite seem to fit the etiquette of first class as she had worked her way up to the class from nothing, and Lydia loved that about her. Something else her company showed distaste for.

They had an afternoon tea alongside a maker of the ship and Satomi. Lydia’s corset was driving her insane, as she couldn’t breathe anyway she thought she’s try the cigarette she’d taken from Jackson’s collection he uses for cigars and brandy with the gentlemen. She subtly lit the cigarette and placed it in a holdall so she wouldn’t have to touch it as she knew this very gesture would offend members of the table anyhow.

“Lydia, that’s inappropriate and you know how I feel about this.”

Her mother patronized tauntingly, causing her inner defiance to flare. She smoked it again with her eyes on her mother.

“She knows.”

Jackson removed the cigarette and put it out. After Lydia whipped her head in his direction, only to find his eyes trailed across the table, she saw in the corner of her eye Satomi’s raised eyebrow at his actions.

“You like that don’t you darling?”

Lydia looked to Jackson half lost at what he must have said to her until Satomi saved her from humiliation whilst making her smile for the first time today,

“Do you plan to feed her her meal as well Jackson?”

Satomi had asked the maker, Alan Deaton, who had thought of the name of the ship to move the subject along when a man she didn’t even know was there spoke up and was somehow haughtier than anyone she’d ever met. She’d lightly sassed their remark making Satomi and Deaton chuckle but her mother’s frown deepen.

“What is the matter with you Lydia? That was rude.”

Lydia rose from the table to get some air from this stuffy cage. As she walked away she heard an exchange or two about her approach but she couldn’t care less. She approached the railing and took a deep breath watching the sinking sun. She felt that a pair of eyes were trailed on her and when she’d flitted her eyes down below A deck she’d seen a man she thought she knew, or at least must have seen. He merely stared back with his piercing green eyes, a warm smile tugging at his lips. She looked away in an attempt to gather her thoughts – then she knew, he was the officer from the other afternoon. She looked back to find his eyes were still on her. This happened until Jackson bluntly told her to come back inside.

Even though she had rested, the numbing Lydia felt hadn’t subsided. She was dressed in a delectable ruby gown that hugged her figure over her ivory skin with gloves as white as snow, her strawberry blonde locks pinned to perfection – she was beautiful, but it wasn’t enough anymore. Finally, she just couldn’t take another second of the droning voices around her, such false pretences she smiled wryly. Nobody cares for her here, not truly. The insatiable need for release rose a lump in her chest until she felt she needed to scream her throat dry, squeeze her lungs empty of the harsh air.

So she ran. She ran until she was gasping for air into the biting winds of the Atlantic, her locks now cascading down her back and whipping at her face while she fiercely rubbed the traitor tears from her flushed cheeks. She ran until there was nowhere left to go. She was standing right on the edge of the boat. She looked around her to see the vacuity she expected. If no one could save her, she was going to save herself. Her delicate frame began to climb the railing of the ship when she almost let go of her hold at the sound of a man’s soothing voice,

“Ma’am? Are you alright?”

Her grip tightened as she turned to the panting young officer who attempted to meet her before she was herded off like cattle, who smiled to her, a stranger, not hours ago. His beautiful face was now contorted in concern, his bright green eyes filled with worry… he can’t care! He doesn’t know her from eve!

“Get away from me!”

It was meant to sound sharp but it came out broken and hoarse. To her utter surprise he smiled warmly in awe.

“Couldn’t if I wanted to, Ma’am.”

Was he… flirting with her? Lydia’s eyes narrowed with her insinuation as he shrugged, a playful smile tugging the corners of his mouth – in truth it took her breath away – she gave a sardonic snort,

“I mean it, I’ll – I’ll do it.”

This made his smile fall short but before he could respond, her foothold onto the railing ceased and she was hanging her arms over to keep from falling, the officer bounded toward her as she lost her grip and she was screaming, dangling on the railing by one hand as he reached her.

“Please, let me help you!”

He urged and begged fervently jabbing a hand toward her,

“Why?!”

She cried, one more slip and it could all be over…

“Because it doesn’t have to be this way. Anything can change!”

Of all he could have said, like ‘because there’s hope’ or ‘because you’re so young’ he seemed to read her mind and know exactly why she put herself in that position in the first place. When she grabbed his hand, the warmth made her shiver involuntarily at his touch, as he pulled her back over the railing to safety, he caught her in his arms before she could fall and he waited for their eyes to meet again before introducing himself breathlessly,

“I’m Parrish, Jordan Parrish.”

“Lydia Martin.”

 


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter two :) ... sorry I don't really know what else to say ahah, other than hope you all enjoy! Lots of fluff ;)

“Are you alright miss? Parrish what in God’s name happened?”

Jon Stillinski, the Master-at-arms, had vented with a creased brow having seen Lydia hugged into Jordan’s chest – Jon knew that Miss Lydia Martin was in first class… and she was engaged to another. Jordan released her nervously, his cheeks flushing crimson at the obvious insinuation of the way they were tangled together.

“Sir I’m quite alright, in fact if it wasn’t for this officer I wouldn’t be here, he saved me.”

Fortunate that Lydia had stepped in to save his ass Jordan thought. Few other officers had arrived on the scene, one offering Lydia a blanket. Jordan refrained from wrapping his arms around her again to comfort her further. Jordan wasn’t a good liar, so decided to keep quiet when others had found them - who must be Lydia’s company – and Lydia claimed she wanted some fresh air and wanted to spot the sea life below by leaning over the railing, preventing Jackson from unleashing his wrath upon Jordan. He wore a scowl on his face upon learning Jordan was her rescuer, and held onto her waist a little more tightly than necessary.

Jordan recognised the two maids with them, they were also in third class residence. One of his best friends, who came on board with him, Scott McCall, obviously had an interest in her. Perhaps Jordan also had an interest in a certain strawberry blonde in her company… no. He wouldn’t think that, he couldn’t. Jordan suddenly became aware of his personal space being invaded by Jackson, who he feared would become the bane of his existence.

“Yea, well thanks again, now let’s go.”

He nodded dismissively and slipped a note in his hand with his icy grip and proceeded to shove Lydia towards the inside. To Jordan’s surprise, she raised her brows at her fiancée and stood her ground from coercion – Jordan wondered distantly if she truly took his words into account and was trying to change things in her life, the thought made him smile.

“Jackson, surely we can be more thankful than that?”

She smiled sweetly with a hint of deviousness which Jordan knew wouldn’t be resisted, despite the smudged makeup. Jackson straightened and squared his shoulders before reluctantly turning to Jordan with a compelled smile.

“Alright. Tell you what officer, why don’t you join us all for dinner tomorrow evening? Hmm? Be ready for eight.”

Jordan tried to ignore the obvious deception of Jackson’s polite demeanour and answered,

“I would be honoured sir, thank you.”

With a curt nod, Jackson was off again, pulling Lydia away. Her small, warm smile to him over her shoulder made Jordan’s heart skip a beat, melting his temporary inner flare showing kindness to such an asshole. Who, by the way, he could see was mocking him to his personal guard.

“Don’t give me a reason to cuff you Parrish, you’re a good guy.”

Jon warned Parrish, half chastising and the other half from genuine concern.

“So this girl is in first class? You’ll have to be growing money out of your ass to get to the likes of her, ya know Jordan.”

Derek Hale, Jordan’s other best friend chuckled as Jordan recalled the story – well, Lydia’s version.

“Ale Parrish?”

The co-owner of the steerage pub, ‘Boyd and Laehey’s’ offered to him, he took it without another thought. He needed it after today’s events.

“What are you even going to wear? You’re having dinner in first class Jordan, and the smartest thing you own is your uniform.”

Scott called from the other side of the bar when he stopped gawking at the maid girl sitting timidly in the corner with few others. The music was loud and the atmosphere ecstatic, Jordan wanted to show Lydia this side of the ship, where the residents were free… His friends had a good point; and on the coming morning he was on deck on a day off, when none other than the beautiful miss Martin sauntered into his view, he was in luck. She looked much better, happier even. He wasn’t sure why but it made Jordan feel a little better too.

“Officer Parrish, good morning.”

“Please, call me Jordan.”

She smiled an ‘ok’ before he gestured for her to accompany him at his table on deck.

“Are you alone?”

She asked politely,

“I came with friends but they get busy I guess.”

No need to mention the less than appropriate things people from E deck get up to – but she was different, he could see it…

“I’ve come to the realisation that I haven’t personally thanked you for what you did last night. And for your discretion.”

He waved her off good naturedly, saying that as long as she paid for his meal tonight they’d be even, earning a bubbling laughter that echoed through his mind in a harmonious symphony. He could listen to that all day. No! She’s engaged for Christ’s sakes Jordan! He reprimanded himself internally. But… is she happy with him? Cutting his thoughts she said,

“I know that you’re thinking, ‘oh poor little rich girl, what could she know of even an inkling of sadness.’”

She dropped her gaze and he almost reached out to her but prevented himself from doing so. Instead he just spoke the truth.

“I didn’t think that for a second, everyone feels hopelessness sometimes.”

She gazed at him from under her lashes and his breath hitched, thankfully she didn’t notice.

“Everyone just thinks that because I have money I’m –“

To his surprise she laughed sardonically as she cut herself short.

“I’m sorry I don’t even know why I’m boring you with this we hardly even know each other, I should go –“

“Don’t, you shouldn’t ever have to feel that way.”

Jordan wasn’t even sure what he truly meant behind the ambiguity of what he’d said, but for some reason, she’d chosen to stay a short while longer.

“You don’t know me, and yet you show such a kindness.”

She said softly after a short silence that Jordan was unsure of how to fill, he wasn’t exactly comfortable around her – but it wasn’t a _bad_ feeling. However, it just meant that he couldn’t quite articulate right around her, luckily she spoke for him for a while, until his voice was required – she walked around the deck with him for what felt like hours as they got to talking about one another. As much as Jordan wanted to think it meant more, he just came to the conclusion that she was merely curious about the man who’d saved her.

“And that’s when I decided to get my job on here, before I was just kind of a tumbleweed blowing in the wind.”

She laughed delightfully – he loved making her laugh already.

“Why can’t I do that? Just be free to get away from the world whenever I want. You have to take me to that pier sometime, ride horses on the beach...”

Jordan had relaxed some at this point luckily so found it easier to play along, and she laughed all the while,

“Sure, we’ll go on the rides until we’re sick and drink all the cheap beer – I’ll even teach ya to ride and backle like man.”

He thought his cowboy rendition was goofy but didn’t care because she found it hilarious and tried herself,

“And spit like a man!”

They were both giggling like schoolchildren after she’d covered her mouth from fear of someone hearing her.

“What you never learned?”

“No!”

She protested playfully and he grabbed her hand to take her to the railing,

“Well I gotta show ya!”

Even though she protested to begin with she was smiling and let him pull her gently to the railing and he knew it wasn’t the way to normally charm a girl – but Lydia Martin was no ordinary girl. She took to it naturally but peeked around the corners to make sure no one was watching. Shortly after, she’d heard a clock bell toll from inside nearby and from the drop of her smile Jordan’s happiness sank as he knew it was time for her to go.

“I don’t mean to sound conceited but, do you have a dinner jacket for tonight?”

He glanced around nervously, of course not.

“A ‘friend’ of my mother’s Satomi has an adoptive son, Brett, he looks about your size.”

Jordan couldn’t help but notice the seemingly deliberate once over Lydia had stolen, his cheeks felt warm and he spluttered,

“Err, Yea… yes – that sounds – um thanks.”

She giggled at his embarrassment. She stood to leave,

“You know, you should find yourself a decent pastime, Jordan. When you’re not on duty you could still be proactive.”

He smiled playfully, he liked this side of Lydia Martin.

“I’ll try to keep that in mind Miss Martin.”

He corrected himself to ‘Lydia’ with the following look of disapproval from her. She informed that she would give him the dinner jacket as soon as she received it.

“See you tonight, and don’t be late.”


	3. Chapter 3

As Lydia swanned away from Jordan she couldn’t help but feel his eyes were trained on her. Lydia loved being admired. But somehow - she knew that this was… different. The further from him she got, the faster she came back to reality and realised if she were caught doing what she’d done or even caught with him – she couldn’t even think about what could have happened. She _needs_ to be more careful. Careful is better than not seeing him, as even now, only after one afternoon with him, he was a form of escape for her.

She was on her way to the starboard side on the first class deck to meet Allison by the café her family ignore, due to their dislike of Satomi for being ‘vulgar’ and ‘new money’. It’s Satomi’s favourite café, and this is where Lydia was going to get the dinner jacket for Jordan after she can be herself with her dearest friend.

“Oh Lydia, he’s so handsome… but I can’t tell if his smiles to me are genuine or if he’s just arrogant…”

Lydia smiled a knowing smile.

“Do you know his name?”

“We only spoke briefly, I had to rush away… but his name is Scott… it’s a nice name.”

Lydia didn’t miss the flush of her cheeks and prayed for her sake that Scott was good, and would treat Allison as his deity, how she ought to be treated, she’s so kind, so worthy of it.

“You must like him, next time you see him why don’t you try and talk to him? Or if you’re too nervous, wait until he comes to you again, sounds like he wants to see you. Get to know him first.”

Their smiles faded at the realisation Lydia wasn’t quite so fortunate with that chance.

“I’m sorry.”

Allison encircled Lydia’s hands with her own with a comforting squeeze, her brown eyes worried.

“No, it’s alright, really. In a strange way I feel like a princess, in an arranged marriage for the sake of other people.”

Lydia didn’t mean to sound as scornful as she did, but Allison knew it wasn’t aimed at her, and if it were anyone else, Lydia wouldn’t say a word. Although, she’d met Jordan Parrish yesterday and already felt she’d known him as long as she had Allison… Changing the direction of her thoughts, she reflected why she was in her situation in the first place.

Lydia’s father had abandoned her and her mother and took all of his money with him, so to retain their first class status, her mother arranged for her to wed Jackson Whitmore, heir to the Pittsburgh steel fortune. To celebrate – being taken to New York chained – Jackson arranged for them to travel via the RMS Titanic on its maiden voyage.

Before it could be discussed further, Natalie Martin turned the corner along with other first class women… including Satomi? They were talking and laughing as if they were more than acquainted. Lydia noticed Kate Argent trailing them, holding a tray of a china tea set. This image pulled her too her senses and she watched Allison rise before being noticed, about to put herself ‘in her place’.

“Will that be all, Miss Martin?”

Lydia smiled sadly,

“Yes, thank you. See you soon.”

She added quietly before Allison trailed beside her aunt. Satomi broke from the women who smiled too sweetly at them before continuing down the deck.

“Lydia dear, here’s a dinner jacket of my son’s, it oughtta fit. Such a brave man, I look forward to meeting him tonight.”

Lydia thanked Satomi appreciatively, she didn’t think Satomi was vulgar at all. Lydia came to realise that she too was looking forward to seeing Jordan again… very much. His spring green eyes flitted in her mind again, along with his breath-taking crooked smile. Lydia vehemently pushed the thoughts from her mind and called Allison over to her again.

“Actually Allison, please can you take this to Officer Jordan Parrish on E deck? He’ll be needing it for tonight.”

Aware of people in earshot, Lydia was formal and Allison dipped her head and set off to E deck. Lydia wasn’t sure if it was a good idea to see the man who saved her right now… nevertheless she knew she could trust Allison to find him – and she would see her new friend again tonight.

Lydia was brushing through her red curls at her mahogany dressing table in her underclothes when Jackson had knocked. She gave him a small smile as he entered and continued to brush her hair until his prolonged silence prompted her to stop, she turned to him.

“I know you’ve been unhappy recently, I can’t say I know why or pretend I understand but…”

Lydia was uncertain of what his intentions were, or how he even seemed to notice her melancholy. He stepped closer holding a décor box which he placed on the dressing table, proceeding to do the same with her hair brush that he gently took from her.

“I was going to give this to you as a wedding present when we arrived in New York, but I thought tonight would be perfect.”

For a moment, Lydia thought the gesture was very sweet… for a moment. Had he seen her with her rescuer today? The thought churned her stomach. His smile was kind but it didn’t touch his troubled eyes, there seemed to be another reason why he wanted her to wear… Lydia gasped as Jackson opened to décor box to present a thin, gold necklace laced with white gold and rubies – along the chain hung tiny, sophisticated, diamond tear drops that glistened in the dim light but what stole the show was the ruby heart shaped pendant the size of a baby’s fist.

“It’s dumbfounding.”

Lydia was relatively lost for words as Jackson draped it over her chest.

“It was intended for and worn by Royalty. We’re royal now… there isn’t anything I’d be unable to give to you.”

His voice was subdued as they stared at the necklace in the mirror. They were silent a few moments before Jackson spoke up again, facing Lydia intently.

“I can give you everything, would never give you nothing. If you give your everything to me.”

His blue were eyes bored into Lydia’s and she wasn’t certain of what to say or do about his declaration. A distant voice in her mind couldn’t help but feel sceptic, about his statement, his timing… everything. This was the first time he’d even been in her room at the same time as her at least, she’d hardly be surprised if she were to find him going through her belongings to find what wouldn’t be found, couldn’t be… until now maybe…

His eyes were saying, “Give me all of you, including your heart.” But Lydia had to source the cause of the deadness inside her chest, understand why she felt nothing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is personally one of my favourite chapters yet! Hopefully they get better for you guys :D. I've posted all four chapters i have so far to my tumblr - darcydxx1 - if you guys want to read it before i get round to posting here (tomorrow hopefully if i have time!) enjoy! :)


	4. Chapter 4

Jordan couldn’t help but ponder why Lydia hadn’t given him the jacket as said, a small part of him wanted to see her again… even though he was seeing her tonight anyway. Although, this time they won’t be alone. But with all the first class… wining and dining… what was he doing? He was up ship creek without an oar. This is supposed to be a reward Jordan, be grateful, he thought to himself.

He shrugged on the black satin dinner jacket and silently thanked Satomi, and of course, Lydia. He’d groomed himself until his true identity was unrecognisable, hair gelled back, he didn’t want to wear white gloves though – that was too far for one night. Jordan knew that everyone wasn’t just suddenly unaware of his place on this ship because he was dressed like them. There was a loud knock on the door before Derek and Scott burst into their room. Scott wolf-whistled as Derek said,

“Damn Jordan, for a minuet I thought we had the wrong room!”

Jordan laughed,

“Thanks guys.”

“You’re still coming to the bar later though right? We’re having a party!”

Jordan beamed,

“Seriously? I’ll need to get out this clown suit before though, I don’t feel… myself?”

Derek gave a sarcastic smile and Scott laughed as he playfully smacked his back and grabbed his shoulders.

“Good luck Parrish! Can’t wait to meet this red-head of yours! Hey you know Allison is her maid? I saw them together today –“

Derek cut him off,

“You stalker Scott.”

“You should really get over your ass and ask her out!”

Jordan smiled, then sighed.

“And Lydia’s not my girl.”

Derek and Scott exchanged a look, before Jordan set off to the first class dining hall. He held his head high as he approached a set of doors, ready to tread water.

“Good evening, sir.”

The doorman welcomed brightly. Mildly surprised, Jordan simply nodded with a smile. He doesn’t get called Sir, officer maybe but not ‘Sir’. Trying to ignore the warmth pooling in his hands and at his brows, he walked down the stairs by the clock tower and awaited in the foyer; fidgeting, attempting to mimic the men of first class in order to not be utterly gawked at tonight. It was his turn to live in Lydia’s world for the night – but he’d be lying if he said he was looking forward to the subversion. He didn’t miss the displeased look on Natalie Martin’s face when she saw him. Jackson almost looked smug, guiding and watching Lydia. As Jordan turned his gaze to her she smiled brightly at him and he was baffled to say the least.

For some reason, he took note that she liked wearing red in the evenings, as tonight she was wearing blood red silk to her ankles divulging from under a delicate black lace pattern. Her red locks cascading over her shoulders. Even the pendant resting on her breast was no match for her stifling beauty. Jackson became distracted and wandered to talk to the men of first class and Natalie ignored Jordan’s attempt to shake her hand/kiss her hand whatever the etiquette was. Lydia smiled apologetically as she approached him, his eyebrows raised.

“I’m sorry, she has… a difficulty with accepting my friendships that don’t include ‘first class’.”

He smiled, forgetting what he was even doing as he absorbed her features. He thought he heard her breath hitch Nano seconds before she composed herself and held out her black gloved hand to his chest and he gently held her hand and rubbed a soothing circle with his thumb over the spot he kissed, he tenderly gazed at her the whole time, feeling like forever when it was one moment. Their gazes locked intensely until Satomi approached with her adopted son, Brett and adopted daughter who he learned was Carrie.

They greeted each other kindly, and before entering the dining room, Lydia gave him some background information. Who was who, what they owned, what they were like, what was floating around about them, like how people thought the Yukimura’s had a surreptitious family secret involving assassination due to weaponry being found in storage with their belongings. This time when she smiled and held a hand to him, he knew it was to escort her to the table, before thinking, he beamed and linked arms with her and they gracefully walked to their table. For a joke he brusquely tilted his chin to the ceiling, erupting her bubbling laughter that he’d so quickly come to love. They’d come to walk by Jackson when Lydia called to him,

“Darling, you remember Officer Parrish, he arrived momentarily before us.”

Jackson turned his stare icy as he turned to face Jordan from being sucked up to by Natalie. Jordan had a feeling that was due to the awareness of the time Lydia had spent with him today. I bet these people have eyes everywhere – he thought.

“Officer Parrish! You could almost pass for a gentlemen!”

Though delivered lightly, Lydia shifted uncomfortably but Jordan refused to falter in anyway tonight.

“Almost, Mr.Whittemore.”

He’d spun away from them to walk away with Natalie Martin, Lydia smiled warmly at him, helping to keep himself in check. Countering what Jordan had anticipated, they assumed he was one of them, clearly new money but possibly heir to a railroad fortune, similarly to Jackson. Dinner went nicely, and the world wasn’t conspiring against him, everyone loved him. Well, almost everyone… Jackson made a point of ignoring him and not speaking for the most part, unless he answered questions about Lydia’s new pendant to which he eyed Jordan countless times. And Natalie made a condescending comment asking if he enjoyed life in third class, prompting awareness that Jordan did not, of course, fit in.

“Mother!”

Lydia warned sharply in a whisper. That she defended Jordan made him feel fantastic, and he simply replied to them,

“Oh it’s alright, it’s great, hardly see any rodents.”

This earnt him a guffaw from the table, and he smiled, feeling a small sense of victory. To explain Jordan’s presence, Jackson recalled that Jordan had assisted _his_ fiancé the night before. He saw Lydia indicate to him from across the table to put his napkin on his lap, which when doing so saw the impressive array of cutlery at his disposal.

“Is this all for me?”

Jordan whispered incomprehensively to Satomi on his right.

“Just work your way in, son.”

She replied and he deftly did so for each course, uncomprehendingly impressing his apparent audience. But when offered Caviar he couldn’t help but make a witty remark,

“No, no thank you, I never liked it that much.”

He saw Lydia’s smile and didn’t care that he was clearly disapproved of by her mother, who tried to dig at him, by asking questions of his current living situation exedra. But he refused to budge, one night Jordan, just one he thought.

“You find the route less existence appealing do you?”

Lydia glared at her mother scornfully and Jordan couldn’t help but smile.

“With all due respect mame, I don’t believe my course is route less. I see life as a gift and don’t intend to waste it. It’s important to make it all count, everything you do.”

Jordan stared at Lydia all the while, knowing he wanted to say this all to her, and she smiled back.

“Would you care to join us for cigars and brandy, Jordan?”

Alan Deaton called to him with a smile, one of the few genuine people here, even though he was indeed one of the wealthiest. He was one of the makers of the ship. Jordan declined politely,

“No thank you, it’s time I head back.”

Alan understood and left with the other men, a girl called Erica laughed,

“Surely you don’t want to stay with us women until you leave?”

Jordan smiled,

“Don’t worry, I’ll be going now.”

As Jordan stood Lydia approached from a conversation,

“You’re leaving?”

He saw a strange sadness in her hazel eyes at the concept, he smiled and thought of a perfect idea, he kissed her hand much like before and whispered,

“The clock tower.”

He left without another word, knowing she understood, this was delicate ground he was treading on, but he wanted to see her. The real her. And he had a feeling, she wanted that too.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for such a long wait, been really busy with school stuff, I've written up to chapter 8 I just need to post them all now! i'll be posting here more than tumblr now just because it's glitching a bit so wont let me post right now for some reason. really hope you like it! :) Comments/Kudos are greatly appreciated.

 

Without thought, Lydia bode the women a goodnight, ignoring her mother’s sceptic glare and carried herself to the clock tower at the top of the stairs, her curiosity flaring. Jordan turned to the sound of her footsteps and wore a large grin holding out a hand to her,

“Wanna see my kind of party?”

She couldn’t help but bubble in excitement, rendered speechless, she nodded frantically, wearing a grin herself. As they were dressed alike, people didn’t glare questioningly as they strolled, linked by the arm. In fact, Kate didn’t even recognise him until he’d asked her, very kindly, to take the dinner jacket back to Satomi and her son. Kate wore a strange smirk Lydia couldn’t understand when she realised Lydia and Jordan were together this way. The closer they got to E deck, the faster, more childlike they were – they started running hand in hand laughing the few steps left,

“We have to be fast! We’re late!”

He tugged on her hand spiritedly, the deafening music growing louder with each stumbling stride. The anticipation was thrilling her. Only then did she realise just how natural she felt holding Jordan’s hand… For now, she just wanted to be selfish and not care, so she can live in the moment, ignoring the small voice in the back of her mind that reminded her such foolishness came with consequence.

Jordan jumped down the small steps and offered a hand to Lydia, which she refused, emphasising she can walk down just fine with an extra click to her step. She took his hand again anyway when they were perusing the crowded room for Jordan’s friends with their eyes.

What Lydia loved the most was even though she was so obviously from first class, not one person cared in the slightest, and they welcomed her as if she were an old friend. Even Jordan’s friends, who Lydia assumed knew a lot about her by the knowing look they gave her as they came into view, hollering Jordan’s name with glee.

“What d’ya want to drink?”

Jordan shouted in her ear to reach her through the noise, for a moment, how close he was registered in her thoughts… anyway, she thought of a drink she always wanted to try but never could and referenced their earlier conversation.

“Beer please, first round’s on you!”

He smiled beautifully at her, remembering their afternoon, then held couple of fingers in the air to one of the waiters at the bar, not bothering trying to holler in this epic pandemonium of light and love and everything Lydia wanted for the night. Not long after, she saw Allison arrive with Kate. Here they greeted each other how they would when in a secluded area. Lydia couldn’t help but laugh when Derek tried to flirt with Kate, but smiled warmly when Scott held Allison gently, smiling into her cheek as he peppered her with kisses at their meeting. Allison blushed at Lydia who winked at her.

Jordan turned around to hand Lydia her beer and when doing so was surprised after her first satisfied sip, she drank it down in a matter of seconds.

“Holy Shit!”

Jordan beamed, and Lydia laughed at his choice of words, his polite demeanour from the evening on A deck turning into one of humour. Lydia smirked,

“Just ‘cause I’m a first class lady doesn’t mean I can’t drink.”

This earned a laugh from her company.

“Isaac, another round for me and my new husband!”

A girl nearby shouted with pride, earning a warm embrace from her husband. Lydia didn’t mean to nose, but she found it difficult to shut up when she drank too quickly.

“Oh wow! Congratulations! When did you… wait, what are your names?”

They laughed with her, starting to swoon themselves.

“I’m Stiles, and this is my beautiful wife Malia. What’s your name miss?”

The look they gave each other was endearing, and Lydia wanted someone to look at her that way, as she knew Jackson didn’t quite. Her cluster befriended the couple as well and after a few more drinks they all decided to dance together in a long trailing line, laughing all the way. Shortly after the change of music to the Irish band, Jordan had beckoned her to dance with him.

“I don’t know the steps!”

She cried as they began to fumble while they were laughing.

“It’s ok! I don’t either!”

Jordan shouted back,

“What?!”

Lydia started and he pulled her in closer, she didn’t want to pull away but then a drink of ale was spilled on them, she just laughed despite herself. Lydia ended the night with what started off as an attempted ‘dance off’ with Jordan that resulted in spinning wildly in circles at arms-length. The night was a dream; something so wonderful that of course had to end with the blink of an eye, leaving you uncertain if it were real or not, and devastated at the knowledge that it was just a fantasy.

Lydia disregarded the heaviness that resided in her head the next morning as she quietly drank some tea on the private promenade off their state room, watching the sea. Jackson joined her quietly, but it was a different quiet; hers was calm and collective, Jackson was the still before a tempest and he was brewing. She tried desperately not to feel the churn in her stomach, especially when her mother had already reprimanded her about spending time with ‘other men’ in general – Meaning Jordan.

“I didn’t manage to catch you last night before I retired to the room, where were you?”

He asked evenly, marginally easing Lydia’s discomfort. She lied,

“I wasn’t feeling quite myself, so I went to bed early.”

He nodded at her words, over considering them. Until he glared at her.

“Your exertions below decks must have been exhausting, or so Haigh informed.”

Her stomach dropped with her gaze, she didn’t say a word, even though he had kept perfectly… well normal. But when she met his gaze his voice dropped an octave,

“I will not tolerate that behaviour from you ever again Lydia, do you understand?”

Lydia still doesn’t know why, but a sudden surge of power washed through her at that moment and Jordan flashed through her mind when she said,

“I’m not a child, Jackson. Don’t tell me what to do or speak to me as if I am.”

There were about two seconds of an eerie silence, not long enough for her to regret her words, when an ear-splitting crash shocked her to her core. Jackson had flipped their table on its side, sending glass and china shards onto her, narrowly missing cutting her. Her wide eyes looked at his beetroot face and he barked,

“You’re not behaving as my soon-to-be wife, but a child! I won’t talk to you this way when you actually listen! You will honour me when you are my wife and I will tell you as I please! Do I make myself clear?!”

Stiff as a rod, Lydia managed to bow her head further down somehow in answer, eyes squeezing shut as if she can cut this memory from her mind.

“Good.”

He said hoarsely, probably losing his voice he was so loud, before ambling away leaving Lydia to sit there, choking on her sobs. Allison ran in as soon as he left closely followed by Kate. Kate began to hurriedly clean up the haphazard left by Jackson clinically, while Allison tried to loosen Lydia with a bone crushing hug. Which eventually brought her back to herself, her sobs breaking free as she cried on Allison’s warm shoulder.


	6. Chapter 6

“Get up lover boys! ‘Boyd and Lahey’s’ are hosting a poker night! We need to go sign ourselves up!”

Derek slammed the door to help stir the later sleepers, Scott just groaned and rolled to his side, Jordan awoke with a smirk,

“We saw you with Kate, Derek, you’re probably farther gone than anyone.”

They laughed as Derek threw a pillow from his bunk to Jordan’s face.

“Get up smart ass. And you should get to work, you’re sleeping on the job…”

Jordan’s eyes widened as he leaped up from his bunk fumbling for his uniform until he found his father’s watch and turned to Derek slowly.

“I still have over an hour!”

He was only half-heartedly mad, for a moment, especially because Derek’s grin was too hard to stay mad at. He only gave it away to a very select few.

“You have a happy morning Jordan.”

He smiled as he leant around the door to leave before Jordan could punch him good-humouredly. When Scott couldn’t be woken with a second attempt, Jordan knew it was because his friend had gone overboard – pardon the pun – with his drinking last night, Jordan smiled. _Last night_ , what a night it was.

He was almost concerned about himself, just how much everything had changed for him when a certain strawberry-blonde decided to mount the stern railing… he wondered how she was feeling, how her day was going. And of course, when he could see her again. Why not now? he thought. He made his way to the dining hall where they were last night to find them all singing a hymn with the captain of the ship. Jordan was about to pass the door when the doorman who wished him a good evening stopped him in his tracks, stating he wasn’t allowed here.

“I was just here last night! I just need to talk –“

the doorman who was pushing him away kept interjecting, repeating the phrase ‘you can’t be here.’ Jackson had seen him from within but of course ignored him. Haigh, his henchman who Jordan had come to loathe had come out the doors, interrupting anything Jordan began to say.

“Mr. Whittemore and Miss Martin thank you for your service to their family and asked of me to give you this as a token of their gratitude.”

He pulled out more notes and Jordan internally rolled his eyes – these people just have money to burn.

“Look I don’t want your money, please I just have to –“

“And to remind you that your services are no longer required. You hold a third class residence Officer Parrish. See to it that he remains where he should be.”

Haigh gave a couple to the doorman who of course complied more than willingly. Great! There was _no way_ he was going to see her now. Somehow Jordan knew Lydia would be restricted from going anywhere without her mother or Jackson after last night – they must know. He was undertaking his standard protocol of a morning patrol when a report of a stolen coat and scarf had come to his attention.

“I can take care of this Jon.”

Jordan jumped at the chance, the owner was Danny Mahelini, a young man in first class he had been acquainted with last night. Jon Stillinksi nodded in assent, too buried under work to care much anyway. Jordan had found Danny who to his surprise, greeted him just as before. He had given him the information needed, the approximate time the items were taken, the features of them exedra. Whilst Jordan kept an eye out for the thief, he couldn’t help but try to catch sight of Lydia.

Jordan chased down the thief who’d sussed onto him and took a run for it. It didn’t take long for Jordan to find a way to trap the thief – Jordan knew this ship well, had to if he were to have the job for this reason. He handcuffed him in no time, returned the coat and scarf and handed him to the Master-at-arms to decide what to do with him.

He was on a lunch break when he decided to sketch on the deck, realising just how much he loved it after all. He found himself silently thanking Lydia for the second time this week. He wanted to sketch until he was good enough to capture Lydia’s beauty – except no picture could ever hold a candle to the real deal, he knew that. Finally Jordan couldn’t take it anymore, he was thinking about her every five minutes – he had to do something. She came into his life for a reason, he could just _feel_ it.

He found Derek and Kate at a little café on Lydia’s deck and asked them where she might be, Kate more than Derek obviously but Jordan hadn’t any time to be picky, Derek has eyes at least, he could well have seen her.

“She’s been very quiet all morning… unsurprisingly…”

Kate suddenly looked as if she had said too much and Jordan didn’t miss a beat, but he didn’t have time left – he _had_ to check on her at the very least, especially now that he knew she was unhappy.

“Kate, please – where can I find her?”

Kate could see the hurt in his eyes and all she wanted was for Lydia to be happy again, and she knew she would be having seen Jordan, even if Lydia didn’t know it herself. Jordan found her walking down the deck behind her company, with her head down. He walked quietly behind them before gently touching Lydia’s shoulder. Her sad eyes met his and for a split second she relaxed – that is until she tensed ramrod straight.

“Can I help you Officer Parrish?”

Jordan frowned and shook his head, he looked behind her and saw her company, including her fiancée, hadn’t even noticed she stopped. He motioned for her to go inside the room adjacent to talk. He couldn’t help but feel like this was the wrong time… that he was going to cross the line and never be able to return – but maybe, just maybe she would be happy… with Jordan. Lydia held her head high and said nothing, just waiting. A gym wasn’t exactly the most romantic setting but here goes, he thought.

“Look Lydia, i… I just wanted to say that – I had the best night of my life last night.”

He started, getting flustered and the fear of the impending rejection hung over his head heavily – but he didn’t care, she needed to know. After his sentence he wasn’t sure if he could physically carry on until her sharp expression softened a bit.

“I did too. But it can’t happen again Jordan. We can’t be… we can’t do this anymore. I shouldn’t even be talking to you.”

He knew their ‘relationship’ was somewhat of a question mark too, that they’d been balancing on a knife – so he decided to let the knife fall. He held his palm to her cheek as feathery as a moth’s wing. For a second she responded to his touch but then turned cold as ice as she looked at him sternly. He had to finish what he started now, he thought.

“Lydia, do you love him?”

He could feel the weight of the air increase and his breath became shallower.

“I… I do love him Jordan, I’m marrying him when we dock in New York. It’s my duty to my family.”

Jordan felt as if he got more than one answer and wasn’t sure what she truly meant, but he wasn’t ready for this to be over.

“Those are different – Lydia, they’ve got you trapped! I don’t wanna see what happens when you don’t break out.”

He gently caressed both of her cheeks – something he’d wanted to do for a very long time – and looked into her soul, knowing she was planning to end their… whatever they were – for everyone’s sake but hers… and Jordan’s.

“It isn’t your job to save me, Jordan.”

He didn’t break their gaze, determined for her to know just how far he’d go for her already,

“If you jump, I’ll jump.”

He couldn’t finish. Lydia’s eyes glistened as she said tersely,

“Goodbye Jordan.”


	7. Chapter 7

Lydia rushed out of the room before her tears could be seen. She just wanted to close her eyes to squeeze away the tears but when she did, all she saw was the heart-crushing hurt that filled Jordan’s meadow green eyes. Oh Jordan…I never meant to hurt you, she thought. She wanted to say it but how could she? The fact she already had hurt him rendered the word’s effect useless. Why oh why did she have to be the saviour? Why was such weight bared on her shoulders to obtain a status she didn’t even care about anymore?

Most of all, not only had she lied to Jordan, but she knew she had lied to herself. She doesn’t even know what love is, how could she possibly use a word she doesn’t understand? She quickened her pace to reach the privacy of her room. She sat on her bed for what felt like hours, alone, confused. Wholly, she’d never felt worse, not even on the very stern of the ship. Allison walked in with the type of smile on her face that meant she was with Scott. It wiped off immediately at the sight of Lydia, she sat beside her,

“Lydia, I thought you were on deck with your mother and Jackson and one of the makers of the ship, I forgot his name.”

“This needs to stop. I can’t keep crying to you about how miserable my life is.”

Lydia had no tears left to cry out and her voice was husky unintentionally. She was so sick of crumbling - she wanted strength, stability, the promise of something better than what she’s been through before… and that was not what she’d been living, life prior to her journey on the White Star Line ship Titanic.

“Lydia, you don’t do that, last night is the perfect example, it was magnificent to see you so full of light and love, not just for me but everyone you met”

Right then, that was the precise moment that Lydia had an epiphany. The deadness in herself had been uprooted last night to reveal the Lydia she wanted to be. The change she yearned. And it was all because of the one man she let go of forever. On some level she knew the moment she knew him, the day after he’d saved her. Her only justifiable explanation was the pressure felt by her ‘family.’ Confused by her next words, Allison merely nodded in assent as Lydia whisked away with,

“Never let Scott go, I have to leave but I’ll be back soon, I need to talk to Jordan.”

As Lydia disappeared Allison whispered to herself,

“There she is.”

The dock was tinged golden under the dusk sunlight. Lydia dragged up the hem of her deep blue dress and her heart raced faster than her legs as she searched for his chestnut hair and slender, muscular frame. She had no such luck on E deck which was her first guess. Almost giving in, taking it as a sign not to find him, she found herself at the bow of the ship back on the first class level. Oh Jordan where are you? She held her head in her hands leaning against the railing. As if some deity had granted her wish, Jordan sat up from the bench nearby.

“Lydia?”

She turned to his sunken eyes and slumped frame and a strong pang hit her chest, she did this to him, she thought. At the very least she was here to fix it. She made her way slowly to him as not to frighten him, each step stirring butterflies in her abdomen. She stopped when Jordan rose and met her half way. They searched each other’s eyes to communicate, his lips were tugged into a smile and he held her hands. He already knew her better than anyone.

“I want to show you something, do you trust me?”

Lydia smiled mock disapproval, what a stupid question she thought but nevertheless she nodded as he held her delicate hands to the bow and asked her to close her eyes and she did so, the soft breeze blowing tendrils of her hair around her. She tried to hold off her scepticism at the idea of climbing the railing.

“You better do that jumping you promised. If I fall, you’re not going to get away with being left behind.”

Jordan chuckled in her ear at her sarcasm, his breath was warm against her skin, making her shiver, as he whispered,

“I couldn’t if I wanted to… Open your eyes.”

She could hear the smile in his voice at his calm request, she opened her eyes and gasped with delight. She was gliding over the beautiful indigo water, in Jordan’s warm, steady embrace… she became aware of their position and turned her head to him, thanking him fervently with her gaze, for showing her beauty only required eyes to see, if you knew how to find it. Not money.

He held her in his arms as he dipped his head to meet her lips. He didn’t touch her lips until she made it very clear it was what she wanted, and she closed the distance with a slow, sensual kiss. The kiss broke only so they could catch their breath. Lydia, desperate for him not to move away, wrapped a small hand around his neck.

“Say you’ll love me, Jordan.”

She whispered and opened her eyes, his own filled with a look she’d never seen before, at least not toward her.

“I think I already do.”

She nodded, and brought her lips to his again more tenderly, letting him kiss her senseless. Other than the tingling she felt at the pit of her abdomen. In that moment nothing else in the universe mattered except that Jordan was with her, entangled in her embrace and _with_ her. And she loved it. Sometime later in their infinity, they began giggling against each other’s lips between kisses, and Lydia was astounded that she hadn’t figured this out sooner. He held her waist as he lifted her off the railing when they finally broke away.

“When we dock, I want to be with _you_ Jordan.”

“I’ll do anything – I can quit this job and find a new one in New York, I only got this one for the extra cash as I travelled to New York.”

They were both making plans excitedly of how to spend their lives together, holding one another by the hand, the waist, the cheek – anywhere.

“I’m tired of being the rescuer. I want to be my own person.”

Lydia smiled honestly and looked at his soft lips, remembering the feeling that ran deep in her core. Reading her eyes, he kissed her deeply as he ran his hand in her soft hair, cradling her head as he held her by the waist. She ran her hands up his muscular torso from his waist to his shoulders to the back of his head gripping at his air wanting to feel him everywhere. Once again, Lydia hadn’t considered the possible consequences of her rash actions. She only wanted to feel, not think. And felt she did. But she also did not think about what butterfly affect her decision would cause.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally posted my chapter edits! i'll post chapter 8 nd maybe 9 now and i'll try my best to post more at the weekend because i'm really tired rn :') kudos and comments greatly appreciated - hope you like the edits and the update, i'd suggest reading through it again though, due to some changes. once again, thank you for reading and support, fellow Marrishers!


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's chapter 8! (FINALLY, sorry!) - really hope you enjoy! Comments, Kudos and bookmarks thoroughly appreciated, thank you guys all so much :) !

“When I said find a pastime I really hope it wasn’t this… because I don’t share.”

Lydia playfully whispered against Jordan’s lips making his smile grow wider somehow.

“Actually, no – I started to draw, it’s very soothing really…”

She nodded a ‘really?’ As they started to giggle again and she continued to kiss him, his hands softly trailing the contours of her back. Jordan didn’t want to let her out of their embrace, even if he could hold her hand along the way, he’s thought about her finally in his arms a thousand times – but, in most cases at least, what Lydia wants, Lydia gets… and he was more than happy to oblige. A pang of worry struck him when he realised where they were headed. He stopped, careful not to tug her too tightly in doing so, just to draw her attention for a moment to think about what she was doing.

“Lydia, I’m not ready for this kind of confrontation…”

Her smile alone made him crazy – he had to get a hold on himself, he thought. But then again… he didn’t want to… she drew him in close and murmured,

“That’s not what we’re doing believe me; Jackson will be having cigars and brandy with the others you met when we had dinner, my mother is with the women so Allison and Kate aren’t ‘needed’...”

Jordan flushed uncontrollably, they were going to be alone… he rubbed the back of his neck with his free hand to relieve some of the growing tension in his muscles. Only Lydia could turn him into a nervous wreck in a matter of seconds, he rolled his eyes at himself internally. She gently took his hand from his neck and led him into her room, their gazes were locked with a look he couldn’t explain… he was entranced, succumbing to whatever her will may be. All he was certain of was that he wasn’t nervous anymore.

As she stopped, he held her gaze a moment and slowly moved to wrap his arms around her and to her lips again, kissing her gently… intently. He really didn’t want to ruin the moment – believe you me – but he had to ask,

“We don’t have to do this… what if Jackson or your mother – or anyone walks in?”

He was a little breathless, and was silently cursing himself for possibly ruining a perfect moment.

“Jackson’s never even been in here before, he came to my dressing room once to present me with the pendant but that’s it – “

Jordan was again uncertain of what her motives were when her expression changed, as if someone flicked a switch in her head to shed light upon an idea.

“Are you feeling particularly professional with your sketching? I’m feeling quite generous as a paying customer, and I have a proposition for you.”

He couldn’t help but grin at her words, he was more or less always confused by her unpredictability but you’re always guaranteed a wild ride when you’re with this Lydia Martin. She gave no further explanation as she whisked away from his embrace for no more than a minute and returned with an ornate wooden box in her delicate hands.

“I want you to draw me.”

He agreed, he’s wanted to do that since he started. When she opened the box he noticed it was Jackson’s pendant, if he was truly honest, it marginally bothered him that she wanted to wear his wedding present for the portrait – but he would never say that. It was rendered meaningless anyway as she quelled it with her next words.

“I want to be wearing this… but I’ll only be wearing this…”

He tried composing himself again enough to speak, but he couldn’t so he just nodded, feeling the tips of his ears growing red. He’d previously refrained from picturing her in those circumstances, knowing it was wrong as she’s said to be another’s or thinking she didn’t want him to – but now… as he waited on one of the plush chairs in her room, a strange feeling of anticipation overwhelmed him. He soon realised that Lydia was still planning to get what she wanted, and he also knew that this was probably a move to get there.

His heart thumped harder as she floated into the room wearing nothing but a tauntingly revealing dark robe and the ruby pendant. He couldn’t breathe. The silence was alleviated with her seductive murmur,

“Where do you want me?”

He couldn’t help but hear the double meaning and found it difficult to not almost obsess over it.

“uh… on the bed – the couch. Ermm if that’s – uh, ok.”

Way to go maestro – he thought. Her smile was always beautiful, but there was a particular glint in her eyes he hadn’t seen before, perhaps she was awaiting an end to the anticipation he felt too. She glided to the couch afore him and loosened the material that draped around her small frame. What was strange was that whilst Jordan had thought about this… more times than he would admit – he kept his eyes on her face during the act, he found her mesmerizingly beautiful.

She gently rested her form on the couch, what was amazing was how she managed to still look sophisticated, although Jordan knew that she wouldn’t look anything other than. She was ready. He started to draw, he absorbed the beauty before him; took in every ivory soft curve and angle, each angelic inch from her crown to the toe. Not even the Lydia in his dreams did her justice.

“You’re blushing.”

He looked up from the paper to her bright eyes and added playfully,

“I’m no professional, you need to stop moving if you want this to come out right.”

He internally patted himself on the back for regaining his wit – not that he could ever get used to the magnificence that was Lydia Martin, he couldn’t get enough… she laughed melodically for a brief time and stopped moving. Finally, he’d finished. Lydia thanked him graciously,

“I love it, thank you.”

He wasn’t so happy with it, it didn’t capture her beauty well enough. But it was good enough for Lydia, so that’s what mattered to him. She thanked him again with a chaste kiss before changing into another dress, a chiffon silk gown in pastel colours - she truly looked like an angel. She placed the picture along with a letter to Jackson in the safe with the pendant safely in its box with it. She hugged closely to Jordan’s chest and hummed peacefully. He sighed and hovered a gentle hand by her ear.

“You’ll have another opportunity to draw me again anyway…”

He sucked a breath through his teeth as it hitched and she looked up at him from under her lashes with an innocent smile. She tilted her head toward him to close the distance but just when doing so heard one of Jackson’s guard enter the room.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter's very heated, and it's my first time writing like this so I really hope it's ok haha. probably one of my favourites as it soon goes awry from here...

“Haigh!”

Lydia widened her eyes as she whispered frightfully to Jordan, stiffening in his embrace. To her surprise, Jordan kept very calm and he silently led her through the door to the other side, when exiting they narrowly missed Haigh. She remembered that Jordan was brilliant with handling situations.

Even though she was marginally frightened, she was thrilled – and she distantly noticed how beautiful it was that Jordan wasn’t leading her, nor she him. They were _equals_. He squeezed his hand a little tighter for a second and he twined their fingers while gazing into her eyes. Time appeared to have stopped for that moment but was quickly interrupted by the sound of Haigh bursting through the door about 12 feet behind them. Jordan laughed,

“Shit!”

“Run!” Lydia giggled. They flailed to the elevator, hand in hand, in an almost childlike manner – without a care in the world and completely _free_. Lydia’s heart thumped against her rib cage as she ran, she’d never felt more alive than when she was on her crazy adventures with Jordan, she thought – and she knew her heart beat erratically for a completely different reason as well.

Her weightless gown drifted behind her as effortlessly as their smiles grew, watching Haigh begin to disappear from above as they descended in the elevator. In a moment of sheer elation, she held her middle finger up to Haigh, making Jordan guffaw as he waved. They escaped for now, she thought.

They crashed out of the elevator and stumbled down the stairs laughing all the while. It took her back to the night Jordan brought her to the third class bar, one of her best nights yet. Haigh was catching up, and fast - But they had reached a dead end to the white corridors.

“Now what?!”

Lydia whispered as Jordan frantically looked for an escape route and had found an inconspicuous door within the wall.

“This way, come on!”

He shouldered open the door and slammed it behind him, they were above the ships boilers and they were deafening. Lydia gripped each side of her head with her hands like a vice, Jordan had mirrored her and they laughed seemingly inaudibly because it was so loud. She stared into his green eyes and he flitted them toward the orange glow afore their feet in question. He jumped down the square hole and reached up to help her by the waist as a young man approached,

“Hey! Passengers can’t be down here!”

They ignored the man as Lydia began to run again, not because she had to this time – but for the thrill of Jordan chasing her down.

“Carry on guys, you’re doing a really great job! Excuse us!”

Jordan yelled aimlessly to the workers as he ran, making her giggle. Soon after, they had found a storage compartment, and were blessed with silence as they wandered hand in hand. Lydia had found a car and walked toward it slowly, adding an extra sway to her step with the realisation of just how alone they were now… Jordan had leaped at the chance to open the car door for her before she had even an inkling of a chance to open it herself.

“Madam.”

Lydia giggled at his snobbish accent and reciprocated,

“Why thank you, kind sir.”

She mindlessly stroked the soft seats in the dark, plush car for a moment and her eyes caught on a pair of roses. She leant toward the front of the car where Jordan sat with a ramrod straight posture and held his nose up as he squeezed the horn, making Lydia chuckle delightfully. She already knew the answer to the question that she’d been so desperate to find – Why had she felt so misunderstood? It was because she didn’t _love_ anyone. Not like this. She knew what it meant now, because she _understands_ Jordan. And as if by fate, he _understood_ her. She tried to communicate this to him with her eyes. All smiles gone, she looked into his soul as she said,

“It might be crazy, but I know it’s the truth. I love you, Jordan.”

He didn’t even need to say it back, the flush to the tips of his ears and his endearing stare was all she needed as confirmation, and she leant in slowly, full of intent as she met his lips halfway. His slight tremble of nervousness was noticeably absent as they kissed more deeply, more intensely, she thought. She yanked him playfully through the front window and they laughed as he staggered backwards into the car. Lydia nuzzled into him as he caressed her hand and she planted a kiss on the warmth of his neck and she pulled away slowly to meet his eyes. They were unmoving for a time, just holding one another. Lydia realised that Jordan would never force himself on her, as Jackson implied. She realised he was still waiting to see if it is what she truly wanted.

“Touch me, Jordan.”

She breathed and she brought his hand to her breast without leaving his gaze. His breath hitched and flushed harder, almost fighting for control. She wavered it further by pulling him in to her to kiss him over and over again, she was insatiable and his kisses grew hungry. He broke away breathlessly,

“Are you sure this isn’t too fast?”

She sighed a smile to him,

“You’re adorable.”

She kissed him deeply as he gently pressed her down onto the soft fabric of the seat, she slowly grazed his thigh with her free hand as she felt the strange tingling sensation from their first kiss as he settled between her legs, only it was intensely magnified. A sweat broke off on her as they breathlessly parted. He began trailing delicate kisses on her creamy skin; her jaw to her clavicle and back again tantalizingly. Her breathing shallowed further as he brushed her outer thigh and she almost begged,

“I want to feel you.”

His gaze had somewhat darkened and it excited her. She’d be lying if she said she hadn’t longed for this with him. She parted her legs an inch more and rolled her hips up to his pelvis, making him groan. He held her waist as he skimmed her inner thigh and he began to work his fingers into her, gently as to ease her into it – but that wasn’t good enough for her. She arched her back at his touch where no man had been before. Already she throbbed but she wanted more, as if reading her mind, Jordan dipped his head and began working on her with his tongue, making her breath falter and hips jerk until warmth had pooled and she came undone. She ripped off his shirt and the rest of their clothes shortly followed. He wrapped his arms around her and her thighs gripped onto his hips, grinding onto his member until he slid into her. He started slowly and sensually but their insatiability got the better of them and he’d thrusted his pelvis rhythmically, starting to climax.


	10. Chapter 10

“I’ve wanted you for so long.”

Jordan panted as she tousled his chestnut hair absently. He bore his eyes into her hazel ones that were crinkled from smiling so widely. She was _so_ beautiful, he thought. He rested his head on her bare chest and listened to her heart as they tried to catch their breath.

“Now that you have me, what are you going to do with me?”

She said playfully, he couldn’t get enough of this.

“I think it’s _you_ that has _me_.”

He corrected with a similar tone and they laughed, but as they laughed they heard the voices of two male attendants and froze. They had a matter of minutes if they were lucky enough that the attendants would claw through storage – both he and Lydia knew that Jackson had sent them looking for her… and maybe Jordan too. They silently gathered themselves and crept out the car, as the windows were still steamed, they couldn’t see – and thankfully, couldn’t be seen. They dodged the White Star Line attendants marginally and couldn’t help but burst out laughing when one had reached the car, flinging to door open to find nothing with a,

“Gotcha!”

Jordan spun her as they laughed aloud on the lower deck that wasn’t just lit by the soft glow from the deck lights but brilliantly so by the moon. As they began to calm down, Jordan whispered,

“This is crazy.”

“I know!”

She giggled and made his heart pound when she held his face in one delicate hand and said,

“But that’s exactly why I trust it. I’m getting off with _you_ when we dock.”

He couldn’t help the smile that spread across his lips as he nodded in assent and met her lips. Each kiss with her felt like a whole new experience, falling for her all over again every time.

“Hey! Look who finally grew some balls huh!”

They broke their kiss to see Derek and Scott. Lydia just smiled and Jordan replied,

“Like you can talk Scott!”

Derek shoved Scott playfully as they laughed.

“Where’s Allison?”

Lydia asked a little more seriously, and Jordan remembered that if Allison was back at work, it meant Lydia’s mother was back at the room – where Haigh was most likely and of course, Jackson would be.

“She left after Kate about half an hour ago. Is something wrong?”

Derek’s smile dropped with his last sentence – his ability to figure things out was uncanny. Scott looked warily between Jordan and Lydia, seemingly catching on. In that moment, quite literally, the very floor of the deck from under their feet shuddered and shook them to their core. Jordan looked up to the captain’s quarters and saw men in uniform in a frenzy and he suddenly heard an ear-splitting screech of ice from a huge berg on the starboard side. He protectively yanked Lydia away seconds before clusters of the frozen shards had the chance to reach her.

“Jesus Christ!”

Scott yelled as he leapt out of the way of lumps the size of his head. Derek just laughed at him playfully and he soon joined in.

“That’s not something you see every day!”

The two joked and began kicking ice lumps across deck to some other third class residents, making a game of it. Jordan looked over the edge of the boat, simultaneously with other passenger, with Lydia still in his hand to see the enormous ice berg which they’d hit.

“That was too close.”

Jordan whispered in the frozen air and turned to Lydia’s worried glance. Lydia interlocked their fingers as they passed the passengers that messed around with the ice and up the stairs to A deck and where the quarters were.

“I think I should try and find Stillinski, the Master at arms, he might know what happened.”

He didn’t want to drag Lydia into all this, especially if it was nothing – but Jordan had a terrible sinking feeling that this wasn’t _nothing_.

“I’m coming with you.”

He wrinkled her forehead incredulously after knowing what Jordan was saying. He didn’t question her or try to stop her. Just as they were to continue, the captain of the ship along with his first mate and other crew members were hurriedly making their way through to the stairs that Lydia and himself were situation right then. One was saying to the captain,

“… No sir, she still hit and she’s already under water, filling from the bulk heads starting at the bow …”

Jordan didn’t catch the rest as they whisked past – not having the time to dawdle.

“This is bad. We should tell my mother, Jackson – they won’t know.”

Jordan nodded in assent and he was about to warn Derek and Scott but they’d already left. They’re probably at the bar he thought. He’ll tell them after he’s gone with Lydia to warn her family. In no way was he about to let her face them alone and nevertheless we’re all in an emergency he thought. When they reached the corridor, Lydia began to lightly tremble. If Jordan was honest, he was nervous himself but he wouldn’t falter when she needed strength – if he practised it, hopefully it would help. Haigh emerged from Lydia’s room wearing a sly smile, rising Jordan’s suspicions.

“Miss Martin, we’ve been looking for you, glad to have you back.”

Both of them ignored him and the obvious eye wandering to their hand holding. Haigh fell instep beside them and Jordan felt he was uncomfortably close to him. They entered the room to see not only Lydia’s entire company but other officers, including Stillinski. Lydia temporarily dropped Jordan’s hand to help find the words to say to her family with their incredulous glare.

“Something serious has happened –“

“So it would seem.”

Natalie Martin interjected venomously as she eyed Jordan. Jordan found difficulty in ignoring the penetrating glare he received from Jackson. Lydia tried to continue,

“Mother, you don’t understand, we could be in the face of disaster! This is serious –“

Jackson interrupted her this time – Jordan didn’t miss the worrisome exchange between Kate and Allison, who were actually listening to her – with a snide comment,

“Indeed it is serious _my sweet_.”

He took greater care in articulating ‘my sweet’ Jordan knew this was out of spite obviously. Jackson continued to the room,

“Two dear things of mine have been taken from me tonight, and now that one has returned,”

He’d eyed Lydia disdainfully. Jordan was almost boiling over at the way she was being spoken to, being treated and interrupted. As Jordan had predicted, Jackson was quite literally the bane of his existence.

“I have a feeling I know where the other is. Search him.”

Two of the officers searching the room, one of which was Jon, started patting around Jordan’s ordinary clothes after Jackson eyed him. This was the last straw.

“Now what?!”

“We don’t have time for this!”

Lydia cried, Jordan remained calm. He knew he was innocent so there was nothing – unless… Oh shit.

“Is this the pendant sir?”

Jordan stared wide eyed until he flared in anger, not caring for his demeanour or manners.

“This is bullshit! I’ve never wanted that!”

Jordan melted when he saw the disbelief in Lydia’s eyes, she whispered,

“He couldn’t have… I was with him the whole time, I –“

She couldn’t finish, a lump seeming to rise in her throat. No, no, no!

“Don’t you believe it Lydia! I didn’t, wouldn’t! Real smooth Jackson, they put it in my pocket!”

Jordan furtively whispered to her as he was beginning to be dragged out of the room by Stilinski himself and the other, Haigh pleasantly smiling.

“Perhaps he took it while you were putting your dress back on, _my dear_.”

Jackson whispered harshly in her ear and Jordan tried to rip free of the hold he was in, calling for Lydia as he was being dragged away, unaware of what awaited – this time though, when ordinarily he loved it, that thought actually frightened him.

 


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cheeky update ;) haha. that last chapter had me like - NOOO JORDAN! :'D - I hope you like it! Kudos, Coments and Bookmarks all greatly appreciated and thank you all for reading!

Words couldn’t describe how Lydia felt in this moment in time. Not twenty minutes ago she was elated, having been _with_ Jordan, on the deck laughing for no reason at all aside from being _that happy_. Now, she was numb and confused – did she really believe Jordan did it? Would he? Only Jackson and herself remained in the room but she couldn’t care less anymore – it doesn’t matter to her because now she has lost. Was lost, again.

She didn’t realise Jackson was any closer until he smacked her square on the mouth, making her head whip to the side and she stared at that spot of the carpet until he clenched her upper arms and shook her,

“You’ll look at me when I’m talking to you!”

Luckily, a male attendant came knocking.

“What now? We’re busy.”

Jackson vented but the man came in anyway,

“I’m sorry sir but it’s captain’s orders – all first class residents are to meet in the foyer. It has been suggested to wear coats, it’s quite cold out tonight.”

Jackson finally let go of her and retrieved anything from the wardrobe for them each and left in search of Haigh. Natalie came in having heard the attendant’s news, closely followed by an anxious Allison and Kate, who given the opportunity, rubbed soothing circles on her nieces hand. Lydia and Allison met each other’s gaze and in their eyes all they could communicate was their condolences for the other.

“Tea, Allison. And I’d like a pot for when we return, Kate.”

Kate had to break Allison from her reverie in order for her to respond politely and oblige Natalie.

“You are not to see that boy again, I forbid it, Lydia. Do you understand me?”

Natalie had said with a creased brow and an edge of callousness Lydia had not seen this much of prior. She was sick of this. One way or another, she wasn’t going to be a bird in a gilded cage anymore.

“Oh stop it mother, you’ll give yourself a nose bleed.”

Before Natalie could respond, Allison had returned with tea and Kate calmly requested for the ladies to dress warmly for the meeting they were to come to. Though Lydia knew it was no ordinary gathering. Lydia and her company were waiting where they were told and her thoughts drifted to Jordan. She just couldn’t understand – no, couldn’t accept what was implied but… what if she was wrong? Again. She’d only known him for a short time but… she did _know_ him. He’d never talked of wanting lots of money, nor did he imply so. Her thoughts were cut short when she saw Alan Deaton rush up the grand staircase by the clock with rolls of what she assumed were blueprints. She called for him and he turned around with his brows creased in sweat. Jackson of course followed after her but as if that mattered right now.

“Deaton, what’s going on? Really? Don’t lie – I can see it in your eyes.”

He was hesitant and Jackson was just downright confused but listened intently out of curiosity Lydia supposed. Alan turned from his heel and lightly held Lydia’s upper arms where Jackson had so fiercely gripped her not ten minutes ago. He looked fervently into her eyes with great concern.

“I don’t want to cause a panic so please only inform who you absolutely must but – Titanic will sink. We have just over an hour now at most, all of this will be at the bottom of the Atlantic. Please Lydia, get to a boat – you remember what I told you about the life boats?”

Lydia covered her mouth with her hand at the news. Of course she remembered. Shortly before Jordan had reached to speak to her in the gym today, she spoke with him on deck with her mother and Jackson…

“Pardon me Dr.Deaton, but in my head I worked the sum of the people on board and forgive me but, there don’t seem to be enough lifeboats.”

“Not by half, miss Martin. Nothing gets by you does it.”

He replied in awe of her intelligence for a woman and a woman her age.

“It was thought it would cluster the deck when I suggested to place more, there is enough room after all but, don’t worry young Lydia, I’ve built you a good, strong ship.”

“It’s a waste of deck space as it is if you ask me, especially for an unsinkable ship.”

Jackson hit one of the boats with the cane he possessed as Natalie laughed along with him…

Lydia turned around to find her mother had dismissed Kate and Allison.

“Mother what are you doing? Where are they?”

“They’ve gone to make us tea, I’m not waiting around for nothing to happen.”

“Mother this ship is going to sink we have to get to them.”

Lydia was frantic with worry until Satomi arrived and lowered her voice an octave, aware of not wanting to cause a fright,

“There are boats starting to be lowered, they could have been sent there Lydia.”

As they got to the deck Lydia couldn’t see them anywhere, and Satomi and her mother were put on a life boat, shortly followed by Carrie as for now it was ‘women and children only.’

“Will we be seated according to class? I hope it isn’t crowded.”

Natalie chuckled and Lydia had had enough – she grabbed her shoulders fervently to get her attention, and she did just that.

“Don’t you get it? There aren’t enough boats! Not enough by half – over half the people on this ship are going to die.”

Lydia lowered her voice at the end of her sentence and it was almost more threatening, thus more effective she hoped. Natalie was speechless. Unfortunately, Jackson wasn’t.

“The better half won’t.”

Lydia scorched her eyes toward him with the utmost disgust.

“You sick bastard.”

He ignored her for the most part and Carrie called for her to come in the boat along with Satomi and a somehow still demanding Natalie. The boat was a death all in itself – the death of the Lydia she’d come to be, always wanted to be. If Jordan were here, he’d make sure everybody in his sight got to a boat to safety before he’d even consider himself. A man like that would never do such a crime as accused. With this realisation, along with who she truly was and what she wanted, she said,

“Goodbye mother.”

Natalie called for her desperately, others just speechless. Jackson grabbed her tightly, ensnaring her arms in a choke hold trying to force her on the boat. He insulted her with implications of impurity as a woman to which she said,

“I’d be his whore any day over being your wife!”

She remembered how Jordan taught her to spit and conjured enough saliva to shock Jackson enough to finally release her.


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for such a late update! But here it is, I hope you enjoy it, and thank you for reading! Sorry it's quite short, i'll work on it! XD

Stillinski sat facing Jordan, one of his finest officers. He was still incredulous but how could you deny such palpable proof? He rubbed the bridge of his nose with his thumb and forefinger briefly and Jordan turned around to him. An awful feeling of guilt washed over him, making him feel ashamed. Even though he’d done absolutely nothing wrong, that he’d let down his boss so much. A police officer that steals is like a preaching vegetarian that eats meat – it just doesn’t go together, _more_ than just wrong, it’s the worst form of hypocrisy.

“Ah, Parrish… why’d ya do it son? Huh?”

Stillinski asked innocently but his voice was full of hurt. Jordan peered up at him with all his strength, finding it incredibly difficult to stand straight let alone look him in the eye.

“I know you won’t believe me… but I _swear_ I didn’t take it.”

His own voice burned with regret and it penetrated the cloud of doubt with the sheer truth that rang in it. But it wasn’t enough. Stillinski looked away from him, not even able to look at him anymore. He looked as if he were about to say so but suddenly, an attendant came in, one of Parrish’s colleagues, tailed by Haigh.

“Sir? The captain needs you on the boat deck, right now.”

The attendant darted his eyes to Jordan and almost winced as he came in, his fears of the awkward tension being proved true – he wanted to leave as soon as he entered, and that was obvious.

“That important?”

Jon turned to him who gave him a curt nod.

“Go on Stillinski, I can take watch.”

Jordan raised his dipped head to see his master at arms stand and eye him sadly before giving Haigh the keys for his release and leaving. Haigh pulled out his gun in an attempt to be intimidating, but Jordan had nothing left to lose. He wanted to sink his head, to crumble to the floor but wanted a dissatisfied Haigh even more – so he stood tall. Haigh stared him down and Jordan was bemused, why keep my thoughts to myself, he thought.

“Are you paid to be a dick? Or do you just naturally act that way?”

Jordan was being half serious and Haigh gave a small sardonic smile then pressed his lips into a thin line. Jordan knew that was the only answer he was going to get. Eventually Haigh broke his gaze and started to roll one of his bullets down the desk – but without any effort to do so… as if the even desk was somehow tilting… Haigh broke Jordan’s train of thought by rising from his chair and stepping fastidiously towards him,

“Mr Whitmore wanted me to give you a new token of appreciation.”

Haigh thrusted his elbow into Jordan’s stomach after having butted the end of his gun in his groin, winding him for at least thirty seconds.

“Compliments from Mr. Jackson Whitmore.”

Haigh said in a voice of honey coating ice shards. He sat the little table in the room and waited for Jordan to stop panting, to give him his undivided attention. When Jordan peered up at him, Haigh mused,

“You know, I’ve been told this ship might sink…”

He smiled bitterly as he rose to a stand and took the key with him as he strode to the door and left without another glance. _This was it then_ , Jordan thought. Even though the pain was crippling, what was worse was the look on Lydia’s face when she thought he’d taken the necklace… she’ll never want to see my face again and even if she did it would be too soon. With that thought, he smacked the pipe with the chain on his wrists that bound him there and rested his forehead on the pipe.

“I’ve gotta get outta here…” he breathed to himself as he looked out the port hole window and saw the water level had risen. Hitting the pipe made a loud enough noise and that’s pretty much his only option here. He smacked down on the pipe repeatedly, harder than before.

“HELP! CAN ANYBODY HERE ME?! HELP!”

He hollered until he was red in the face, over and over again. Nothing. No one. He tried again, his hope faltering, chipping away each time it failed. He breathed heavily when he’d stopped momentarily,

“Ahh this could be really bad!”

He said anxiously – he was rarely anxious. Distantly, he heard a trickling noise and he whipped his head around to see a puddle of water spreading its tendrils along the floor, closing in on him.

“Ah shit! SHIT!”

He exclaimed and tried again, hitting the pipe as hard as he could, even trying to squeeze his hands past the constrictive metal rings. He was about to make himself bleed. He swung his arms up gripping the top of the pipe and climbed up it and tried to yank the pipe out so he could at least get the hell out of the room. The water was beginning to force its way in more viciously, fountaining through the cracks of the door. He was running out of time, fast. He tried freeing his hands from the cuffs again but he ended up just cutting himself, he winced.

“Common, common!”

His muscles grew more and more agitated by the second. He was breaking into a muck sweat, beads springing out and dripping down his forehead. He stood still, silently for a moment. Listening to the water make its way in. he hoped to God above if there was one that Lydia got to a boat and actually stayed on it. The water pooled around his ankles now, it was freezing – as he expected. He leapt his feet up onto the desk that had drifted its way toward him some, shaking off the water. What the hell am I supposed to do now?! He thought.


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the late update! These chapters are noticeably shorter than before, it's really just because I feel the POV needs to change again at the certain points now that the drama is intensifying as the Titanic is soon to sink, anyway I hope you enjoy!

Lydia ran as fast as her legs could carry her – she had minutes, literally. She found her way to the A deck and ran into the corridor which she thought was near Dr. Deaton’s room.

“Dr. Deaton? Dr. Deaton?!”

She called after him desperately. She had to find _him_ , and she needed the doctor’s help.

“… Madam, please, put on a life belt and get to the boat deck.”

She recognised his voice and whipped around to see him standing next to a woman in first class who was placing gloves over her fingers.

“Dr. Deaton!”

She cried, relived and he glanced at her anxiously.

“Thank God,” she said, running to him, “Where would the master at arms take somebody that was under arrest?!”

“What? Please, Miss Martin, you have to get to a boat!”

He exclaimed, gravely concerned.

“No! I can’t! I’m doing this with or without help… but without will take longer. And there’s no time, please!”

She exclaimed desperately, her throat thickened. He shook his head but sighed in defeat,

“Take the elevator to the very bottom of the ship, turn left and go down the Crewman’s passage then go right and then left again at the stairs there – you’ll come to a long corridor…”

That’s all she could remember she was so panic stricken. She ran to the nearest elevator, on a mission. It was easier for her to focus now she knew what she was doing – well somewhat. She brushed passed dawdling passengers vehemently, not having time to waste to be polite.

“… I’m sorry Miss, but the lifts – are – closed.”

The crew member enunciated as if he were talking to children. ‘They’re closed’ my ass, Lydia thought, infuriated. He repeated what he’d just said robotically when Lydia crashed into him she was running so fast. He looked almost bored – that was soon to change.

“I’M THROUGH BEING POLITE GOD DAMIT! NOW TAKE ME DOWN!”

Lydia stormed as she physically shoved the attendant into the confines of the elevator and dragged across the metal wall separating them from the other – mildly miffed – passengers. He took her down, shaking like a leaf whilst doing so. She specified ‘E Deck’ and the elevator creaked slowly as it descended. As soon as they hit the floor, it seemed like gallons of water came gushing in, making them gasp into shock it was so cold. They both staggered back at the sheer force even though it was just to their shins.

“I’m going back up!”

He reached for the lever but Lydia grabbed his arm to halt him.

“NO!”

She yelled as she pushed past him and forced open the metal door, trudging through the water. He repeated what he’d said and absently she wondered if he was trained to be a parrot. He did so and she watched as her only way up disappeared without her and Jordan in it, giving back the water by pouring it out like a water fall.

“Crew passage?!”

She whispered to herself, her eyes darting around frantically until she saw a sign that read ‘Crew Only’ atop of a door. Perfect. She lugged her weight through the water as fast as it would allow her to down the passage, trying to remember where she had to go. But she couldn’t. She was lost, again.

“Jordan!”

She wailed repeatedly. Her heart rate faltering when the lights started to flicker, dim and flicker until it restored once more. She moved toward a corridor with less water on it and tried again,

“Jordan!”

This time, her heart pounded when she heard his voice shout back for her,

“Lydia! I’m in here, Lydia!”

She listened intently for the sound of his voice, trying to differentiate between whether it was resonating off a wall or coming from that direction. She called for him again and he did the same, she also heard a loud tapping sound of metal on metal and forced open a door to see him standing there chained to a large pipe.

“Jordan!”

She exhaled in relief and her heart melted at the sight of him, she’d never seen him so distressed. She trudged towards him and he was smiling back at her, relief washing over them both.

“I’m sorry! I’m so sorry!”

She cried as she neared him and she grabbed his neck and kissed him for a brief time passionately but pained all at once. She’d missed him so much she couldn’t believe how foolish she’d been, she thought.

“That slick Jackson and his pal Haigh put it in my pocket, I swear-“

Jordan began, his voice ringing true. Lydia interrupted him, holding the sides of his face in her hands.

“I know, I know, I’m so sorry!”

Their foreheads met briefly and she embraced him tightly for a short moment. She asked anxiously,

“How do I get you out of here?”


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thought i'd update two chapters in light of their brevity! hope you like it! Comments, Kudos and Bookmarks all greatly received :)

His eyes darted around and saw a key cupboard.

“You’re gonna have to find a spare key or something… it – ahh, it was a little silver one.”

His voice was husky from all the yelling he did trying to get out. She did so and her eyes scoured over all the keys,

“There aren’t any silver ones, these are all brass!”

She yelled, her breathing beginning to become uneven. They checked around the room.

“What about here?”

Jordan kicked a drawer on the desk that he’d seen Haigh go through. Something that would start eating away at him were he not to ask came to mind,

“Lydia?”

He said softly and she turned to him abruptly, fear glossing her eyes.

“How did you know it wasn’t me? Did you find out?”

Her heart sank and shattered a little bit with his words, he could see it in her eyes. His face fell, he didn’t want to make her sad.

“I didn’t, I just figured it out… well, realised that I already knew…”

She said tenderly and he smiled beatific, wanting to hold her in his arms again so much it hurt, so he gestured to the drawer she was near and she yanked it out from the desk and foiled the papers inside looking for it. She threw it away in aggravation and she almost growled.

“It’s alright, it’s gonna be alright, ok?”

Jordan said uneasily, unsure of it himself.

“There’s no key!”

She wept with tears of frustration. Suddenly there was a shift in the ground and they felt the gravity beneath their footing shift and a sickening creak wailed from the walls of the ship. The water rose around them and the freezing cold water was to Jordan’s knees but up to Lydia’s thighs. In that moment he was astoundingly grateful that she was wearing a coat at least. Once she’d gathered herself again, her eyes continued to arrow around the room unwaveringly but Jordan knew it was futile.

“Lydia, look at me.”

He asked gently and she did, trying to fight away the tears.

“It’s gonna be ok. Look, you’re gonna have to find some help…”

He wasn’t sure what else they could do, even if it was a long shot – it was still a chance. He’d looked into her eyes and she wore that same look the night they’d met, but they lit with a flicker of hope when he’d said these words and he nodded as she was about to set off in search of help. She suddenly turned away from the door and slogged through the water to Jordan, shoving the floating furniture away, and his breath hitched as she met his lips fervently.

“I’ll be right back.”

She vowed as their kiss broke and she trekked through the water out again. In the silent moments that followed, Jordan watched the water drift the furniture and papers around.

“I’ll just wait here.”

He yelled as he stood in an awkward silence, fighting against the water from swooping him off of his feet, making him lose balance. His blood turned cold, and not due to the water…

“Scott! Derek!”

His cheeks burned with embarrassment, how could he forget two of his best friends?! His heart skipped a beat at the thought of them, he knew there was no way they were even on the boat deck let alone getting the chance to get to a boat. He then remembered Allison and Kate and it furthered his worry knowing they’d be lucky to get to a boat, being attenders of the first class passengers he hoped they had.

And with these thoughts, they drifted him to think of everybody on E Deck, all the people he’s met… and he knew only a few would even make it out of this mess. Being an officer, it was a part of standard protocol to know the ins and outs of the ship as well as its secrets. There weren’t enough boats for everyone aboard. Not even by half… will any of his friends make it? He wasn’t just fighting for his own survival now, he was fighting for Lydia’s. And anyone he could possibly save.


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! So sorry for such a late update, been revising like crazy for exams so haven't had a great deal of time to do much and I totally forgot about updates! In light of this, i'll update two more chapters with this one as they are a bit shorter too so hopefully you like them! :')

Lydia refused to let the sheer cold of the water incapacitate her as she was effectively swimming through the water which was now up to her waist. She breathed heavily as she heaved herself through the water, her clothes trying to drag her the wrong way. The corridor had lost its light but the water appeared luminous somehow. She tried to mentally log where she was exactly so it would be easier to pinpoint later.

Further down the corridor was drowning the furniture that drifted in it, in more water than she was in, she opted to try the staircase next to her. The water made a sucking sound as she hauled herself out of it, her clothes sticking to her. She ran up the stairs hoping to God she wouldn’t slip and fall and she arbitrarily picked a corridor.

“Hello! Is there anybody up here?!” she yelled.

“WE NEED HELP! HELLO!” She stormed as she ran everywhere and anywhere. Is there no one left?!

“God Dammit!” She squeezed out her frustrated tears, not caring anymore.

Finally someone came rushing through the corridor, he wasn’t dressed in a uniform but he was a person. They ran to each other but he was speaking frantically in a language she didn’t recognise she tried anyway, asking for his help as they grabbed hold of each other’s arms but he continued to quiver and speak the foreign tongue as he ran off, making her sigh in exasperation. An impending despondency threatened to suffocate her. She wasn’t running anymore, she staggered around, still calling out for help. As the lights started to dim again – she froze.

The lights were completely out and she stuck herself against a wall, never being more terrified. She closed her eyes in the hope of calming her erratic heart and tried to even out her breathing pattern. The minuet was long but the lights completely restored and she internally slapped herself to snap out of it. She bound off in another direction to keep searching, there was no way she was going back to him with nothing – if the situation were reversed, there’s no way Jordan would give up until he found something, anything. Her heart throbbed when the small, negative part of her mind told her that he would have never let her get into the position he was in in the first place… never have doubted her… she shoved the thought away, remembering the _far_ more important task at hand. In that moment, a crew member in white strode around the corner, holding life jackets.

“Ah, Miss, you shouldn’t be down here, come quickly now, I’ll get you to the boat deck...”

He began forcefully whilst he held onto her arm half dragging her the wrong way as she fought against him and tried to tell him so but he wasn’t listening.

“Please! You’re going the wrong way because I need your help! There’s a man down there… JUST LISTEN TO ME!”

She cried until she was absolutely livid with rage that this man wouldn’t shut up and just listen for one second, until of course it was too late and she’d shouted bloody murder and punched him. As he’d been struck he staggered backward and hit the wall at the end of the corridor and touched his now bleeding nose. He looked at her, eyes wide, incredulous. She was panting and her face fell, she knew before he’d said another word that that was her chance gone.

“What the hell’s wrong with you?!” he whined as he shot in the other direction.

She knew if she closed her eyes it would be harder to open them again. Her eyes fell upon something glistening red against the blanche white wall. She ran to it and unravelled the fire hose to break the glass barrier with the metal end to reach it and lugged the axe down the corridor, the right direction, to Jordan. She found her way to the right stair well only to gasp in horror. It was almost filled to the brim with water. She tread carefully down the stairs and winced as the bowel of water creaked and moaned against the walls.

She held onto a protruding metal bar to hover over the water, turning her head left and right to familiarize herself before diving straight in. She shrugged her heavy coat off after having hooked the axe head onto the bar and sharply inhaled when she placed herself into the water that she tried to minimalize to being just above her chest, travelling by vaulting along the pipes with her free hand strenuously. The water level was lower where she was going, and with each movement the level shallowed, ‘til it was at the base of her ribcage and she lugged the rest of the way with the axe over her head.

“Jordan!” she called as she pushed away a random piece of floating wood that obscured him from her view.

“Lydia!” his smile fell as soon as he saw the axe and he gulped.

“I’m sorry, I couldn’t find anything else – will this work?!” She asked anxiously.

“It’s ok, we have to try.” He nodded and spread his wrists apart. He panicked as she approached holding the axe with both her hands at the bottom.

“Woah, wait – I’m no woodsman but maybe try holding the axe with your back hand closer to the axe head.”

Jordan half joked, Lydia would have laughed ordinarily but all she could muster was a shaky giggle. She did so.

“Maybe I should practise?” She said and he nodded in assent. She did so and almost hit the same mark but she begged that it would be enough because time was slipping away from them. She neared him again, lip quivering as the small part of her mind pondered on what ifs.

“Lydia,” He said soothingly and she looked at him fearfully.

“Just hit it really hard and really fast, ok? And don’t worry, I trust you.” He smiled.

“I get the sentiment and likewise but no pressure or anything, Jordan.” She said dead seriously but he couldn’t help but smile which he tried to suppress. He loved how even in dire situations she still managed to be sarky. He nodded slowly and turned his head away, not being able to bring himself to open his eyes, he squeezed them shut. She slowly raised the axe, trying to calm herself and threw it to the pipe, not bearing to keep her eyes open once she’d visualized a mark.


	16. Chapter 16

CLINK! The sickening crack of metal on metal was never more welcoming when they both opened their eyes to see that she didn’t even leave a scratch on him. He looked at his wrists and they both started laughing almost deliriously. He fervently held the sides of her laughing cheeks and placed a chaste kiss on her lips.

“I knew you could do it! Common let’s get the hell outta here.”

He hopped down from where he’d stood on the desk and sucked in a deep breath,

“Holy shit, it’s cold!”

He flinched and they started laughing again.

“Suck it up, pansy.”

Lydia giggled and he wanted to kiss her so badly but it was hardly the time. He came down from his high when he’d seen the sheer state of the corridors… one way he couldn’t even see past as the water gushed to the brim.

“That was the way out!”

Lydia claimed anxiously. Jordan whipped his head around and decided to go for the way with the least water, which seemed the obvious choice but he knew not many passages actually had doors to the above.

“Common, we’ll just have to go this way.”

They trudged through the water ‘til it was shallow enough to run and they ran holding each other’s hand reassuringly. Jordan considered his bearings and knew that the wall they were currently adjacent to lead to a main corridor, and there was a wooden panel right in front of him. He squeezed her hand before letting it fall to throw himself against the thin wooden wall panel, over and over again until he broke through it.

They burst through the panel and sure enough they were in a wide set corridor with a herd of people to their left and open space to their right, which was the closest way up, conveniently he thought. He searched for Lydia’s hand and she met his as they started off for the clearer route as an attendant started yelling at them,

“Hey! What do you think you’re doing?! Damaging property like that! That’s white star line property! You’ll have to pay for that, you know –“

“SHUT UP!” The two said simultaneously and the attendant did so, they couldn’t help but smile as they were bounding off.

“Did you see his face? He looked ridiculous!” Jordan chuckled. And Lydia commit the sound of his laughter to memory. Before she could respond, they’d reached the main stairwell only to find a hoarding crowd of people, hollering at the men behind the gate.

“FOR GOD’S SAKE WHY CAN’T YOU LET US HAVE A CHANCE?!”

Jordan recognised that bellowing voice anywhere. It was Derek.

“DEREK!” Jordan hollered and Derek turned around from above to see them standing at the bottom and he swam through the crowd to reach them, briefly hugging them when he met them.

“We can’t get out?” Jordan asked futilely.

“Not a chance in hell this way!” Derek vented, throwing his arms up.

“Where’s Scott?” Jordan asked dubiously. Derek’s face fell.

“I haven’t seen him, we lost each other in the hoards.” His voice broke faintly.

“We’ll find him.” Parrish placed his free hand on Derek’s shoulder for a brief time before they bounded in another direction.

“Is Kate on the boat deck?” Derek asked Lydia and she said honestly,

“I hope so, I lost her when we reached the clock tower in the foyer on A Deck.”

Moments after, they saw Scott pounding through the crowd, hollering after them.

“GUYS!” They finally caught up and shared a brief embrace.

“All the boats this way are gone, there’s nothing, we can’t get up.” He said worrisomely.

“Common let’s go the other way!” Jordan exclaimed and tried to map out where they were in his mind. They weaved in and out of the different corridors and passageways whilst weaving in between people that were beyond petrified. Derek and Scott followed closely behind as Jordan steered them with Lydia trailing marginally behind which was unusual but he pegged it on the fact he was leading them all. Until He noticed that Lydia’s hand wasn’t warming up and he turned to her to see her lips were literally tinted blue. He stopped dead, placing his free hand to her cheek.

“Jesus Lyds! You must be freezing! Why didn’t you say?”

His voice cooed as she shivered. She shook her head. He internally rolled his eyes, of course she wouldn’t say anything. He darted his eyes around as did the guys and Scott leapt to an open door to a room which had an abandoned – but thankfully mostly dry – blanket and threw it to Jordan who wrapped it around her letting the wet skirting drape away from her. They smiled at each other and guided her gently in front of him with his hand on her back. They’d reached a sort of sub-stairwell of sorts.

“… like I said, if you go back to the main stairwell, it will all be sorted out there, alright?!”

A crew member with an overbearingly annoying nasal voice regurgitated. Jordan brushed past the people at the gate.

“Open the gates.”

He asked, toned domineeringly. He repeated the information again.

“Open the gates! Right now!” Jordan demanded, jabbing a harsh finger towards him, losing his patience.

“Go to the main stairwell, like I told you!” He repeated. Again. Jordan turned around sighing in exasperation, seeing his group do the same. He refused to let them die and that was exactly where they were headed if they don’t move, fast. He saw red as he couldn’t take a moment longer and his veins coursed with an energy he wanted to vent as he saw the despondent look on Lydia’s face after she’d finished being angry. He grit his teeth and sharply turned around grabbing the gates with all his might.

“GOD DAMN YOU SON OF A BITCH!”

He thundered, turning red in the face as he spat the words. He couldn’t bring himself to look at Lydia, worried that he may have frightened her. He spun away from the gate and shot his eyes for something, anything to break through the gates. He saw a bench rest atop the floor. Perfect


	17. Chapter 17

Whilst Lydia had never seen him like that, she wasn’t scared of him. She could see the way the attendant made his blood boil and she knew he couldn’t bear to face her. She saw the way his muscles on his back were tight and clenched and he looked to Derek and Scott who wore similarly baleful expressions, much like most here.

“Scott, Derek I need a hand!”

Jordan raised his voice over the constant shouts of the crowd. They did so and Lydia saw them have at the bench built into the floor. She hollered to all the people facing the gate as she herself pushed past them the get their attention.

“Move! Everybody! Get out of the way!”

“Put that down!”

The attendant repeated countless times as the boys managed to get the bench up, Jordan took the rear as Derek and Scott flanked him.

“ONE… TWO… THREE!”

Jordan roared over the noise of the repeating crew member and they worked together to beat the gate down, breaking it off the hinge on the third round. Jordan turned to Lydia with a look of fear on his face that she didn’t want to be the cause of. He helped her up and over the bench through the gap to the other side then joined her. Lydia imagined the crew member probably ran away through fear of probably getting beat up. The other stuck around, poor choice she thought.

“You can’t go this way! You can’t-“

His sentence was cut off by the sound of Derek’s fist meeting his face, knocking him to the ground. Lydia grabbed Jordan’s hand and gave it a light squeeze, hoping it would communicate how worried she was about him. He turned to her and tried to smile. They finally reached the boat deck but that was immediately met with bad news.

“The boats are all gone!” Lydia exclaimed frightfully.

Scott bounded for the railing for a better view down that side, nothing. His face said it all as they started for the other side and Lydia bumped into Mr. Yukimura from first class.

“Mr. Yukimura! Are there any boats left on that side of the ship?” She asked frantically.

“No, Miss Martin, but there are supposed to be a couple left all the way back.”

He replied coolly and her and Jordan exchanged a brief, frantic glance before they bounded off for the stern, hand in hand. As they ran down the deck they noticed the music band were playing – Lydia knew the piece, it was one of her favourites. They all frowned.

“Now I _know_ we’re in where there’s first class.” Scott laughed and they joined him as they continued down the deck as the frosty, Atlantic night air bit their cheeks. When they’d finally reached a boat, their faces fell once again as an officer was shouting,

“WOMEN AND CHILDREN ONLY!”

Lydia’s heart sank into her stomach when she knew exactly what was about to happen next, exactly what Jordan would say to her.

“Check the other side! Just in case!”

Jordan yelled to his best friends and they nodded in assent before disappearing in the crowd… Lydia looked around her and saw nothing but sadness; A man was consoling his children in their mother’s arms from afar, telling them he’d ‘only be gone for a little while’, there was a woman crying who fought crew members just to embrace her husband or partner just for one more minuet. Lydia’s throat thickened and she choked a broken sob,

“I’m not leaving you.”

She decided as she turned around to him, inches away.

“No, Lydia. You have to go, _please_.”

He placed a palm to her cheek as he urged, wiping away the fresh tears that spilled over on her cheeks.

“No!”

She cried brokenly and it didn’t come out as sternly as she’d hoped. She focused on his green eyes, knowing she may falter at the sight of his pain.

“Please Lydia, get on the boat!”

His eyes were piercing as he tried again. Before she responded she heard a horribly familiar voice as Jordan’s hand dropped from her face and his attention turned to him,

“Yes get on the boat, Lydia.”

Jackson said domineeringly and she frowned in disgust while Jordan just sighed. There were a few moments of a really awkward silence and glances before he started up again,

“Look at you, Lydia, you look so cold!”

Jordan would have laughed sardonically ordinarily, Lydia thought. But Lydia was perfectly comfortable in her little blanket until Jackson removed it off of her anyway and shoved the blanket to a mute Jordan. Lydia froze, utterly flabbergasted, as Jackson shrugged off his heavy coat and laid it over her shoulders. As if he actually cared if I was cold or not! She thought and cringed as he touched her. He started to touch her face when Jordan thankfully shouldered past him and pulled her away a little way.

“Go on, don’t worry about me, alright? I’ll get the next one.” Jordan insisted, gripping her shoulder.

“Not without you!”

Lydia insisted harder, through her teeth and she started to fear that this was it for real, this could be the last time she’d ever see him. She fluttered her hands on his torso to his shoulders, shaking. Jackson stepped closer and said,

“I’ve made arrangements on the other side of the ship. Jordan and I can both get off safely.”

He was careful not to touch Lydia this time, which was wise she thought. She looked between them wide-eyed. It was only for a nano second but Lydia could have sworn she’d seen a doubt in Jordan’s eyes. But he turned to her with a smile,

“You see? It’s fine. I’ve got my own ride to catch. I’ll see you soon.”

He urged once more, physically pained. She didn’t believe he was being fully honest.

“You should really hurry, the boat’s almost full.”

Jackson smiled but she knew it was contrived. She looked back to Jordan again, with fear set in his brow. Before she could argue an officer grabbed her arm from behind,

“Step aboard then, miss!”

He demanded as she was ripped away from Jordan’s grasp. In that second, it all became clear just how wrong this felt. She started panting as she was helped into the boat. She whipped around and Jordan was right there, she stretched out her arm so rapidly it hurt as she grabbed his hand, seeking his warmth for just one more precious moment as she stared into his eyes.

“I love you.”

She barely whispered but he knew and he said it right back before an officer ripped him away from her again. She sat, feeling numb as she forced the tears away so she could see his beautiful, pained face, branding it in her mind. The lump in her throat rose so much so that she felt like she couldn’t breathe. She’d hardly noticed Jackson was still there until he spoke, thinking she couldn’t hear.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Final add to the mini chapter update spree :'D - I really hope you like it guys, I personally get pretty bummed out writing these chapters because of how sad they are... but I hope it's still a good read! :) Comments, Kudos and Bookmarks all greatly received!


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi forum!
> 
> Sorry for such a late update again, I thought i'd try to fit one in at least before exams start up =::::(
> 
> Enjoy!

“You’re a good liar.”

Jackson credited Jordan for something he never did and didn’t enjoy doing.

“I’m not as good as you.”

Jordan didn’t even look at him as he was watching the love of his life being lowered away from him. _But she’s safe now_. He had to tell himself over and over again because the crippling pain would overwhelm him otherwise. But there was nothing he couldn’t hate more than her being unsafe… only marginally more than seeing her so upset… and that he lied to her…

“There’s no boat is there?” He asked flatly.

“No there’s a boat, it just hasn’t got your name on it, Parrish.”

Jackson replied pitilessly. Jordan nodded slowly and turned his full attention to Lydia, whose wide eyed expression appeared knowledgeable, could she hear us? He thought.

“I always win, Jordan. Like I said, I make my own luck.”

Jordan barely heard what he said because he was too concerned about Lydia, already knowing her all-too-well. He recognised when she was conflicted about something – about to make a drastic change. The second he figured it out, she pushed past the others on the boat and threw herself onto the railing of the ship on the deck below.

“LYDIA!”

He yelled for her, futilely reaching down as if he could reach her. He whipped around in lightning speed and sped past the incompetently slow, his heart racing. He couldn’t feel anything other than the adrenaline and sheer pounding of his heart. Where is she? He thought, panicked. He ran down to the foyer by the clock tower and saw her flash of strawberry blonde hair and flew down the stairs to her. She ran with her arms wide and they crashed into each other, he picked her up to hug her tighter and wrapped his arms around her, stroking her hair as she cried.

“Lydia! Why did you do that?! Huh! Why?!”

He asked desperately between desperate peppered kisses.

“If you’ll jump, I’ll jump, remember?”

She smiled through the tears and he couldn’t help but smile back at the reference to what he’d said to her in the gym earlier that day, and he sighed in relief that she was with him.

“Right!”

His voice was hushed and he kissed her cheek fervently and she moved to kiss his lips, brushing his face with her hands lightly. The kiss broke so they could embrace.

“I just couldn’t do it, I couldn’t leave you.”

She cried into his chest and he rubbed soothing circles on her back.

“It’s alright, common, we’re alright now.”

He hushed. Everything from that moment for half a second turned to slow motion as the flight part of adrenaline kicked in when he glanced up to see Jackson whip around the stair corner tailed by Haigh – holding Haigh’s gun, poised to shoot.

“GO!”

He gripped her to pull her out of the way and the shot hit the strange egg shaped stair knob that was bigger than a head, cracking it off the banister – it’s pathway to Lydia. He effectively picked her up and carried her away from it falling onto her. Jackson poised again closing his eyes.

“RUN!”

Jordan hollered to Lydia as they ran around the staircase, Jordan yelled encouragements as Lydia peered up at Jackson, following their wake as they all spiralled downwards. The only thing keeping her from stunning to a complete stop was Jordan, his hand in hers and his fervent words, panicked. Seconds were bought when Jackson slipped on something, Jordan couldn’t see what - he was trying to get them out of the firing line. His heart sank as the lesser of two evils seemed to be them trudging through the water again as they reached the very bottom of the ship. Luckily Jackson wasn’t a good shot, and he missed them, but unfortunately, it scared Jordan more into the fact he might miss him and hit Lydia.

He stopped tailing them at the base of the stair case as the two slogged through the waist deep water to a set of doors leading to the dining room that they once all had dinner together in. But now it was just a shell of broken shards.

“I hope you enjoy your time together!”

Jackson thundered, as if they only had minuets anyway. As the water shallowed they wove through the ship and he had to remember where he was but there wasn’t time to stop and think. All he knew was that they were right at the bottom of the ship again and needed to find another way up. Suddenly they heard a small yelp from a small boy. They looked down the white walled corridor to see a boy of about eight, wailing by a set of double doors that looked as if they were going to give way to a great surge of water at any moment. The stairs that they just stood on were already pouring water over each step.

“We can’t just leave him here!”

Lydia raised her voice above the surging water. Jordan knew that of course but where were they going to go? He ran to the boy, trudging through the water, closely followed by Lydia and he scooped him up resting him on his hip. They looked fearfully to the doors that were spurting water and ran in the other direction. He cradled the boy’s head as he ran hard and fast, grateful that Lydia was no slow runner. They stopped dead at about a third away from the end of the corridor, gushing water blocking their path.

“We have to go back!”

Lydia shouted and they turned on their heels to do so, to see a man running through into the corridor, seemingly from nowhere. He was yelling in another language and ripped the boy from his arms and shoved Jordan back, taking off in the other direction – towards the double doors that were beginning to crack.

“NO, WAIT!”

They both shouted and ran to him in the hope he’d understand. But it was too late. The doors finally gave way to an influx of water, swooping them off their feet. Jordan yelled for Lydia to run and they started in a turn off corridor to avoid the worst path. They lost sight of where they could run to, as the lights sparked bringing them to an epileptic darkness. They tried and tried to get away from the water but it was futile, the great force of nature dragged them down. The water threw them around, assaulting them and crushing down on their lungs.

When they finally had their heads above the water, they smacked into a gate, the water trying to force them through the bars. He turned around and guided her with him shouting encouragements back to her to keep going. He found a stairwell close by that they dragged themselves against the sheer force of the water to get to. The water was still rising and they outstretched their arms to reach the pipes to hold themselves above the water with strenuous effort.

“Almost there!”

He yelled between his panted breaths.

He looked back to see she was almost completely submerged and he yanked her out from under and picked her up, helping her to the stairs. As she ran up he hauled himself out of the water to trail after her. Only to see another gate. That was locked.

“Oh God!”

Lydia cried as they tried to shift the gate with all their might. But it wouldn’t move. And the water was threatening to ensnare them as it jutted up the steps.


End file.
